Today I didn't even have to use my AK...

I gotta say it was a good day.

I began my day in my new life as a (pretend) New Yorker by taking an extra long shower to wash off the fourteen hours days I've been enduring and enjoy my first, very welcome, day off in the last week. My bestest friend in the world moved here a few days ago and I've been ecstatic that I managed to convince him to make the move with me. So after a phone call from Dan the days plans were confirmed. We would begin by walking the Brooklyn Bridge, a desire that I possessed the last time I was in NY that never came to fruition. I promised myself that even though I now live in the giant fruit state I would still allow myself moments of being the total sightseeing tourist I am every time I travel. It was well worth the cluttered subway ride.









































An absolutely heart stopping view of the river and the downtown Manhattan skyline was worth the long walk over the bridge that brings together the two buroughs. We embarked on the financial district. I took a moment to look down Wall Street and view the basis point for the meltdown of the American economy. Standing on the corner of Broadway and Wall Street filled me with an odd chill. I could almost smell the regret, shame, and humiliation of the investment firms, banks, and trade companies as I stood on the avenue of horribly broken dreams that ruined an entire conception of the American way of life.

I also discovered there are no good restaurants in this section of town.

Starvation brought Dan and I to Union Square. We are, of course, still tourist/residents of this city so everywhere we go we're using iPhone internet and subway maps so we are not so lost that we end up in a corner stoop, scrounging for scraps out of garbage cans, hoping to find our way home. Union Square is not much better for food options so we eneded up at Chipoltle. Which is fine by me because it reminded me of home. I've been notoriously homesick despite being in this exhilarating and challenging environment.

After searching for quite some time we found a theatre playing the Harry Potter movie in Times Square. Another jaunt through the subway and we were treated to the best-as-of-yet Harry Potter movie. I am an avid, as anyone who knows me will attest, Harry Potter fan. I own all of the books (which I have read at least a dozen times each) and movies. I've been following the series since movie #1. I am a tried and true devotee of the series and possess absolutely no abashment. I have always found this to be a well-written and interesting story and fully enjoy following the mania. I was thrilled that my first movie in NYC would be this one. I was not disappointed. This was easily the most visually stunning, innovative, and creative movie of the series thus far. The director was one I am unfamiliar with, David Yates, but he was able to create the movie in the way that I had envisioned it in my head, with the obvious modifications. It incorporated more humor than in movies past and attempted to challenge the actors in more ways. The cinematography was extraordinary. It doesn't matter if you think this is the most retarded phenomenon to hit the world, this was still an amazing film. Take check all who doubted the Dark Knight. Not comparing the two, merely making a point. I was enthralled and highly recommend any fan to go see it.

We decided to walk through Times Square at dusk and fuck with the tourists. Nowhere in NY is more of a trap for the weary traveler than this area. Crowded, thronging, clashing bodies all try to avoid each other while waiting for the little glowing white walk signal at every street corner. If one is a phobic of crowds this is an area to be avoided at all costs. However, the brazen stream of advertisements on every square possesses its own little element of beauty if you can value the flashy and somewhat degrading quality it exhibits. The stunned wide eyes of the people snapping fervent photos all throughout it of anything and everything they pass is worth it alone, as I can empathize with them being the stranger that I really am.














We don't do posed photos. It just ain't our style.

We ended our evening with drinking in a warehouse in Williamsburg, indulging on cheap cans of beer and good conversation with a crew of people that I absolutely adore being around. It even ended with awesome posed photos on a motorcycle and taco shenanigans on the way home. Overall, fantastic and beautiful day in NY with only slightly rainy weather that couldn't have dampened my mood even in its wildest dreams.